(time limit 15 minutes).
Councillor Roberts to MOVE and Councillor Chadderton to SECOND:
This Council notes that Oldham, together with thousands more, will celebrate International Women’s day on the 8th March 2018. Oldham Council has already agreed to mark the centenary of the Women’s Suffrage Act by supporting the Suffrage to Citizenship Campaign throughout 2018 and this will include marking the actual anniversary in November. Working with the Youth Council and local organisations, activities will focus on ways of encouraging young women (and men) to be more actively involved in the local community, an aim that fits well with our ethos as a Co-operative Council.
Oldham Council has previously affirmed its commitment to women’s equality; acknowledged the unequal impact of austerity on women and supported the aims of the WASPI campaign for fair access to pensions.
Oldham Council further notes that the Government continues to put forward proposals which threaten vital services for women, this time the funding of refuges for women escaping domestic violence. The Government consultation paper ‘Funding Supported Housing’ includes proposals to remove the payment of Housing Benefit to women living in refuges, which provides over 50% of their funding, and replace this with a ring fenced grant to local authorities which will also have to pay for short-term supported housing for older people, homeless people, people with mental illnesses and drug addicts.
This council is extremely concerned that this threatens the sustainability of refuges, which by their nature often provide a service to women out of the borough, and which are already unable to meet demand.
This council resolves
Minutes:
The Mayor informed the meeting that there was one item of outstanding business from the previous ordinary meeting.
Motion 1
Councillor Roberts MOVED and Councillor Chadderton SECONDED the following motion:
“This Council notes that Oldham, together with thousands more, will celebrate International Women’s day on the 8th March 2018. Oldham Council has already agreed to mark the centenary of the Women’s Suffrage Act by supporting the Suffrage to Citizenship Campaign throughout 2018 and this will include marking the actual anniversary in November. Working with the Youth Council and local organisations, activities will focus on ways of encouraging young women (and men) to be more actively involved in the local community, an aim that fits well with our ethos as a Co-operative Council.
Oldham Council has previously affirmed its commitment to women’s equality; acknowledged the unequal impact of austerity on women and supported the aims of the WASPI campaign for fair access to pensions.
Oldham Council further notes that the Government continues to put forward proposals which threaten vital services for women, this time the funding of refuges for women escaping domestic violence. The Government consultation paper ‘Funding Supported Housing’ includes proposals to remove the payment of Housing Benefit to women living in refuges, which provides over 50% of their funding, and replace this with a ring fenced grant to local authorities which will also have to pay the short-term supported housing for older people, homeless people, people with mental illnesses and drug addicts.
This council is extremely concerned that this threatens the sustainability of refuges, which are already unable to meet demand.”
AMENDMENT
Council were informed that the names of the mover and seconder of the Amendment were transposed. Council AGREED the mover and seconder be amended as requested.
Councillor Turner MOVED and Councillor Williamson SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:
“End the first paragraph in line 4 after the end of the second sentence.
Insert a new paragraph as follows:
‘Council notes with pleasure that four Oldham women, Lydia Becker, Annie Kenney, Marjory Lees and Sarah Lees were included within a list of notable women suffrage pioneers recently announced by the Women’s Local Government Society as inspirational examples to the women of today. It is especially notable that the contributions to the struggle of two of these women, Lydia Becker and Annie Kenney, were seen as ‘so immense’ that they deserved ‘special recognition’. Council will be proud to celebrate the historic contributions made by all four of these Oldham women in fighting to secure the vote for all of the women of Britain as part of the ‘From Suffrage to Citizenship’ campaign’.
The amended motion would then read:
“This Council notes that Oldham, together with thousands more, will celebrate International Women’s day on the 8th March 2018. Oldham Council has already agreed to mark the centenary of the Women’s Suffrage Act by supporting the Suffrage to Citizenship Campaign throughout 2018 and this will include marking the actual anniversary in November. Council notes with pleasure that four Oldham women, Lydia Becker, Annie Kenney, Marjory Lees and Sarah Lees were included within a list of notable women suffrage pioneers recently announced by the Women’s Local Government Society as inspirational examples to the women of today. It is especially notable that the contributions to the struggle of two of these women, Lydia Becker and Annie Kenney, were seen as ‘so immense’ that they deserved ‘special recognition’. Council will be proud to celebrate the historic contributions made by all four of these Oldham women in fighting to secure the vote for all of the women of Britain as part of the ‘From Suffrage to Citizenship’ campaign.
Working with the Youth Council and local organisations, activities will focus on ways of encouraging young women (and men) to be more actively involved in the local community, an aim that fits well with our ethos as a Co-operative Council.
Oldham Council has previously affirmed its commitment to women’s equality; acknowledged the unequal impact of austerity on women and supported the aims of the WASPI campaign for fair access to pensions.
Oldham Council further notes that the Government continues to put forward proposals which threaten vital services for women, this time the funding of refuges for women escaping domestic violence. The Government consultation paper ‘Funding Supported Housing’ includes proposals to remove the payment of Housing Benefit to women living in refuges, which provides over 50% of their funding, and replace this with a ring fenced grant to local authorities which will also have to pay the short-term supported housing for older people, homeless people, people with mental illnesses and drug addicts.
This council is extremely concerned that this threatens the sustainability of refuges, which are already unable to meet demand.”
The Mayor informed the meeting that the time limit for this item had expired.
A vote was then taken on the AMENDMENT.
On being put to the vote, the AMENDMENT was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
On being put to the vote, the SUBSTANTIVE MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RESOLVED that:
1. The Chief Executive be asked to write to the Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance to express concern and to ask for continuation of the existing system of paying Housing Benefit to women living in refuges.
2. The Borough’s three MPs be asked to press for the continuation of the current system and to seek more secure funding for refuges.
3. The Council’s representatives at the LGA be urged for the LGA to lobby against this proposed change.